Russian and Soviet posters

Although not actively collected, our holdings of Russian and Soviet posters from the 20th century cover a wide range of social, political historical and artistic topics. Most are not catalogued separately, but are listed in the Online Catalogue as 'Collections', often under an English title denoting the subject of the collections.

A small number of original posters are from the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary period and reflect these events from a variety of political viewpoints. Separate listings of some of these collections including descriptions of individual posters have been prepared. These are to be found in the pdf document Russian and Soviet posters.

Some posters with texts by well-known writers such as Maiakovskii or designed by well-known artists such as Malevich or Moor are included in the A catalogue of Russian avant-garde books 1912-1934 (British Library shelfmark2725.g.1780). The most notable are those from the collection of "Batal'nye lubki" from the First World War (British Library shelfmark HS.74/274). A significant collection also included in the same catalogue is Russian placards (British Library shelfmark C.191.a.13), those being reproductions of posters designed by V. Lebedev for the windows of ROSTA.

Though coverage of later Soviet posters is sparse in the British Library's holdings, there is a significant collection of original Soviet Era Posters, 1986-1993, covering the period of glasnost' and perestroika.

[A collection of posters issued by the Soviet government]Moskva, [1918-21]Cup.645.a.6(Fuller details of this collection to be found inRussian and Soviet posters (PDF format))

[A collection of posters (issued by the All-Russian Central Commission for the Liquidation of Illiteracy)]6 pt. Moskva, 1920Cup.1247.h.21(Fuller details of this collection to be found inRussian and Soviet posters (PDF format))

[A collection of posters and leaflets on the European War, issued for circulation in Russia]16 pt. [1917-19]Cup.645.c.12(Fuller details of this collection to be found inRussian and Soviet posters (PDF format))

[A collection of posters issued by the Southern anti-Bolshevik armies] [1918-21]1856.g.8 (1-14)(Fuller details of this collection to be found inRussian and Soviet posters (PDF format))

[A collection of Russian First World War posters]A collection of 73 "batal'nye lubki" by various artistsMoskva, 1914-1915HS.74/274

[Russian posters of World War I]Posters shelved individually at shelfmarks HS.74/273(1) to HS. 74/273 (41)(Fuller details of this collection to be found inRussian and Soviet posters (PDF format))

[A set of eight coloured cartoons of the Russo-Japanese War etc.][Moscow, 1905]N.Tab 2005/13

[A set of Russian cartoons on the Russo-Japanese war, issued from January to June, 1904][Moscow and St. Petersburg, 1904]N.Tab 2005/12

Soviet Era Posters 1986-1993 [Miscellaneous collection of posters, not catalogued separately]1986-1993HS.85/19(1-3)[Index to the posters shelved on open access in the Humanities - Floor 1 Reading Room at HLR947.085]